Okay, this is a one shot concerning the feelings of Kaoru toward kenshin. This is baseically a challenge to myself. I was experamenting with writing a more sensual piece that focuses on desire. I am happy with it, but do want some feedback.

Enjoy!

Her Poison

Kenshin was standing in front of the stove, busily chopping away at various vegetables and fish, a somewhat silly smile on his face and a soft hum barely audible coming from his throat.

Kaoru was standing in the doorway, caught by this seemingly subdued man calmly making dinner. No one would venture to guess that this one Himura Kenshin was once the feared manslayer know as Battosai. To many, the now rouroni Kenshin was a hero of sorts, but to Kaoru he had become a source of increasing trouble.

It had been a while sense Kaoru knew she was in love him, but it wasn't until recently that she was beginning to understand certain other, feelings for him. It was those particular feelings now that were keeping her locked in the doorway, staring unabashedly at the red haired man before her.

The way his careful hands flawlessly cut through the fish, how gently his fingers seemed to caress that same fish as he washed it. Kaoru briefly wondered if his hands were smooth or rough, and how they might feel on her skin.

'I wonder if they would make my skin have goosebumps?' Kaoru flushed fiercely at her own thoughts, slightly from embarrassment and slightly from guilt, before Kenshin turned around to face her, a smile still on his lips, affectively ending any thought about his hands.

"Was there something you needed Kaoru-dono?" Kaoru couldn't stop her eyes from drifting down to rest on Kenshin's lips. Creased in a question, she noticed how smooth they appeared, and how strong they seemed.

'How would they feel against mine? Rough? Smooth?' A vague sense of heat began to spread throughout her body as she continued to wonder about other things his lips could touch.

"Kaoru-dono?" Kaoru sputtered a bit, her flush coming on full force at such an innocent question, turned upside down by her previous thoughts.

"N-n-o" She mumbled. The way his eyes were staring at her, so intense, made the heat in her veins speed up, and begin to spread over her arms and legs.

"Just wondering if dinner was almost done Kenshin." Kaoru turned away, her head swimming, her blood churning, like she had just drunk sake, and it was coursing through her body.

'Mou, if he sees me like this I don't know what I'd say!' Embarrassed by her own silliness Kaoru turned to leave, her mind racing with the usual flow of rapid doubt.

'Kenshin doesn't even like me in that way. I've been in love with him for so long now, but he still only calls me Kaoru-dono. I thought we were becoming so close after he hugged me on the bridge, but now it seems that he really doesn't care about me that way.' Kaoru felt tears start to gather in her eyes as she recalled that day on the bridge. It was just before the battle with Enishi. Her and Kenshin had taken a walk and there on the bridge she confessed that she wanted to stay with him forever. It was on that day, when Kenshin had embraced her close to his heart, and whispered that he too wished to stay with her, that Kaoru first felt the heat which had plagued her body ever since. Kaoru sighed at the memory, recalling how it felt to be held by him, how gentle his hands had been on her, as if he was afraid she might disappear if he held her too tight. How safe she felt in his arms, knowing that no matter what came after them he would protect her. The sweet shy way that he had whispered into her ear, making the hair on the back of her neck rise up in anticipation. Kaoru sighed again, hugging herself as she briefly imagined that it was his arms around her again.

"You look a little flushed Kaoru-dono, maybe you should lay down?" Kenshin's silky voice was right behind her. Kaoru whipped around, her azure eyes wide in surprise.

Kenshin was there, barely inches away from her, his violet eyes flecked with gold. His stare was intense, devoted. Kaoru flushed deeper, her blood beginning to swim with warmth.

Kenshin continued to gaze at her, his eyes taking on a certain softness as his hand gently parted her bangs, feeling her forehead for heat. His touch was like cinder, causing all the warmth inside her to come blazing up to her head, drawn to his hand like a magnet.

'Kami, if only his hand does this…' Kenshin leaned forward a bit, his forehead wrinkled in worry.

"Kaoru-dono are you all right?" Kaoru did not hear the worry in his voice, all she could hear was her name on his lips. How would her name sound on his lips when locked in the throws of passion?

Kaoru felt the heat begin to swirl in in her stomach now, the thought of Kenshin saying her name like that, giving rise to many other visions of pleasure. Just what other sounds could his voice make?

"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin's voice was strained now, his worry quickly turning to panic as Kaoru still did not answer him. Kaoru, however didn't hear the growing panic in Kenshin's voice, she only saw the smooth lips of her rouroni coming closer to her.

Kaoru's head was spinning, both from her thoughts and the heat. Her knees began to wobble, and Kenshin lips were so close. Unconsciously, Kaoru began to lean closer to him, her mind too hot for any real thought beyond that of how his lips might feel against hers.

Before rational thought could interfere, Kaoru closed the distance between them. Her lips fanned over Kenshin's as she let out a small moan, the feel of his lips was like liquid flame, engulfing her body and enraging the heat. Instinctively Kaoru's hands trailed up to grip Kenshin's yukuta, her body craving more contact with him, the heat in her blood demanding fulfillment. It was Kenshin's small sigh that broke through Kaoru's heat riddled mind like a blast of cold water.

'what am I doing? He must be so confused now.'

Kaoru sighed as she pulled away, the heat in her banished, letting her mind clear.

"I'm sorry," She murmured, her head lowered in embarrassment, as she turned to leave the kitchen.

Warm hands caught her and spun her around, Kenshin's lips crashed down on hers a second later. His arms wrapped around her waist, pushing her into him, his hands fanned out across her back, gripping her to him like she was the only thing holding him down to earth. His mouth was hot against her hers, reigniting the fire and causing it to spread throughout her body. His hands were everywhere at once, caressing her long starved skin. His mouth trailed down her shoulder relentless in its pursuit to find all of her secret spots, sparing her nothing as his mouth gently fanned over the tops of her breasts causing her to cry out. It was more than she could handle, and Kaoru felt weak from it, but found that she only wanted more. More of his touch, more of his mouth, more of his hands, more of everything that was undeniably him. Kaoru could feel herself losing control over herself as the flame Kenshin was pouring into her began to swirl around her like a whirlwind. With a happy moan Kaoru let herself drift away in the pleasure filled heat that Kenshin was wielding throughout her entire body.

He groaned slightly as her hands snaked up his back to thread in his hair, pulling him back towards her mouth for a kiss. Kaoru felt her back being pressed against the doorframe, Kenshin's hands tugging slightly at her kimono, needing to feel her skin.

Kaoru moaned as his hand found their way, allowing their flesh to meet at last. It was better than she had thought, his calloused hands causing her skin to thrum with pleasure. She was gasping for air as Kenshin's mouth left hers and began to kiss its way down her neck, pausing to pay special attention to her pulse point.

"Kenshin." Her voice was raspy with need.

Kenshin stiffened before pulling away suddenly, causing Kaoru to whimper at the loss. Carefully he pulled her kimono back into place covering the mark he'd made, and straightened his hair.

"Dinner will be ready soon Kaoru-dono." Kaoru stared at him, confused. Then she heard Yahiko's voice in the hall. Letting a well felt explanative burst from her mouth, Kaoru rushed to finish retying the bow on the back of her kimono, cursing again when it slipped from her grasp repeatedly . A rough calloused hand stopped her efforts, a second later Kaoru felt Kenshin's warm body press into hers as he finished tying the bow.

"Thank you Kenshin." Kaoru mumbled, her face flushed. Kenshin laughed slightly, the vibrations tickling throughout Kaoru's body. Placing his hands on her hips, Kenshin leaned over and whispered into her ear, his breath gliding over her skin.

"Next time Kaoru, don't kiss me and try to run."

Kaoru left quickly, knowing she couldn't face Yahiko just yet. Later in her room Kaoru sat staring into her hand mirror at the mark Kenshin had left on her shoulder, her hand trailing over it, mimicking the path his mouth had taken earlier. Closing her eyes she could see his fiery gaze boring into her flesh, spreading heat through her body. It was as if he had infected her with fire, and Kaoru did not have the strength or will to fight it. The look in his eyes when he held her in the kitchen, twin pools of gold which burned with desire. Kaoru gulped, in that instant she had felt like a mouse caught in the stare of snake about to pounce on its prey. Yes, Kenshin was indeed the snake and she was the unfortunate mouse about be eaten.

'But unlike a mouse, I don't even have the sense to run.' A soft smile graced her mouth as Kaoru realized that she had already been bitten by the snake, the proof was on her shoulder. Kenshin's heat was inside her body now, swimming through her blood, waiting to strike at any moment, just like a snakes venom.

Sitting there in her room, Kaoru knew that this poison would haunt her for the rest of her life, that it would become her craving, making the heat she had felt earlier grow stronger until it was all she could think about. Drawing her closer and closer to the brink of insanity until she gave it what it wanted. It would become her addiction, already she could feel it coursing through her veins, searching, seeking, longing for the sweet heat it had felt only moments before. Knowing that the only the one who could sate it, was the one who awoke it.

The man who in had become both the poison and the cure. Kenshin.

There you have it! I may have made Kenshin a bit more Battosai than rouroni, but that's because I really think that his reaction is a big possiblty if Kaoru were to do something like that.

Feedback is welcome!